W. Kamau Bell in conversation with Kelly Carlin

Emmy-nominated comic and host of CNN’s “United Shades of America,” W. Kamau Bell delivers incisive, scathingly funny commentary on modern society that will change your view of race, politics and social issues in America.

Bell first captured audiences’ attention with his thought-provoking one-man show, “The W. Kamau Bell Curve: Ending Racism in About an Hour,” and later, with his widely praised FX comedy series, “Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell.” He also hosts the podcasts, “Denzel Washington is The Greatest Actor of All Time Period” and “Politically Reactive,” as well as the live public radio show, “Kamau Right Now!” He is also the author of The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell.

With a post-modern perspective, Bell brings audiences provocative insights as well as very human, very necessary commentary on the headlines of the day, from race relations to cultural divides. His edgy yet level-headed view of the world provides a hopeful understanding of our country’s challenges, as well as conversation-stoking takeaways on humanity and social change. Bell’s special, “Semi-Prominent Negro,” aired on Showtime this past April. His one man show, “Ending Racism in About An Hour” has been praised by audiences and critics from leading outlets, including “The Guardian” and “Time Out New York.”

Kelly CarlinAuthor, A Carlin Home Companion: Growing Up with George

Kelly Carlin is a writer, public speaker, performer and radio host whose work explores “the big questions of life.” Like her father, George Carlin, she loves to use humor to question the status quo, and she loves to seek out the unique angle into any subject she tackles. But unlike him, she brings a more personal and emotional tone to her work.

As a child, Carlin explored her own creativity by writing skits and doing imitations, but began her professional life in her teens working behind the scenes with her parents on various shows for HBO that continued into her 20s. While at college, Carlin discovered her voice as a writer, which led her to a career in writing for film and TV with her husband Robert McCall. After her mother’s death, Carlin began exploring autobiographical storytelling through her first one-woman show, Driven to Distraction. She is now host of “The Kelly Carlin Show” on SiriusXM and “Waking from the American Dream” on SModcast Network and tour her show A Carlin Home Companion — also the name of her memoir.

Carlin earned her bachelor's in Communications Studies from University of California, Los Angeles, and her masters in Jungian Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute.